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he said, smiled. “You know Americans. Knee-jerk reactions become laws.”
    “We have camps like that here in New York?”
    “They’ve popped up quite-like all over the last few years. Have a lot of nervous politicians in office. Figure they might need a place to lock away hostile people at some point. Not sure if they had now in mind. They were thinking the places would be needed eventually, I guess. Amazing insight they have, don’t you think?” Marfione removed a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, offered them up.
    “I’d love one, if you don’t mind,” I said.
    “I don’t. Savor it. Not sure when we’ll find a supply to replenish though, you know?”
    I thanked him. “I’m Chase McKinney and this is Allison Little. We were--before all of this, well, we were dispatchers at nine-one-one.”
    “Nice,” he said. “Can tell by the uniform shirts.”
    Always hated the uniform shirts; baby blue itchy material, decorated in para-police collar brass, nameplate and pointless badge. Meant to change out of it at when I was at the apartment Changed the pants, but things had been too hectic. Had a backpack filled with clothing, but left it when we ran from the Humvee. Here I was, Allison, as well, still donned in work shirts, and she in those irritating navy blue pants.
    “Lieutenant Marfione. Matthew Marfione. Friends just call me Marf,” he said. We shook hands. “Let me go check with Spencer to see what’s what. But hey, do me a favor? Guys I just brought in, they’re pretty shaken up. If you can welcome them some, might make a world of difference.”
    “We’ll do that, sir,” I said.
    “Just Marf. And thank you. I mean it. Whatever’s going on, this world is a worse place than it once was, if you can believe that. Ranks and shit, it don’t mean much anymore. We’ve got to be more concerned about being humans, helping each other. The times, they demand it.” He walked past us.
    I stared at my cigarette. I had no way to light it. The lake spray was going to ruin it. If I stuffed it in my pocket, I’d crush it. Regardless, I tucked it behind an ear. It would have to keep. “Want to come with me?” I said.
    “You want to go over now?” Allison said.
    “He’s right,” I nodded toward Marf. “Why wait?”
    Before we could head over, we started to dock alongside a larger craft. The Coast Guard crew on our vessel yelled to the crewman on the other vessel. Lines were tossed and our ships were drawn together.
    “Okay, everyone,” Spencer said. “We’re going to move from this boat to the other. One at a time. Coast Guard’s going to assist. You’ll get a life vest once on board. Put it on immediately. Secure it. If you need assistance, Coast Guard will help.”
    “Guess it will have to wait,” I said.
    The Coast Guard station was a large, old white house with a red roof. A plaque hung above the front door that read: Guardians of the Great Lakes .
    “Supplies are loaded,” someone shouted. “Let’s get everyone onto this ship.”
    Thunder boomed above us. Through thick grey clouds, I saw a crack of lightning slice the sky.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Six
    1432 hours
     
    The larger Coast Guard vessel was a 47 Motor Life Boat , which carried thirty-eight people and four crewmen safely. We had nine civilians, seven military, and eight Coast Guard crewmen on board. Twenty-four in all.
    Cedar Point State Park was up the St. Lawrence. With the weather getting worse, we were informed we’d be traveling at roughly twenty to twenty-two knots.
    The Captain of the Coast Guard station explained all of this. He was still talking. I zoned in and out, trying to mostly pay attention. I just wasn’t in much of a mood for a lecture about a boat.
    He wore his full get-up. Guess he didn’t look at ranks being nonexistent the way Marf did. Different branches. Guess I could expect as much.
    “Even if this thing rolls over, it’s designed to right itself,” Captain Travis Keel said. “And we’ve done it,